Thyroid, which belongs to an endocrine system, is situated in the center front of the neck and is attached in front of larynx and trachea as a butterfly shape viewed from the front. There is a lobe in each of left and right side and the lobe is connected by an isthmus. Thyroid produces and secretes thyroid hormone and calcitonin, and among these, thyroid hormone, which is formed by iodine as a base material, plays an important role in maintaining body temperature and balance of body metabolism. As a result of these actions, the thyroid hormone is essential for normal growth and development, and maturation of the nervous system.
Thyroid diseases are mainly classified into hyperthyroidism in which the excessive amount of thyroid hormone is secreted, hypothyroidism in which little amount of thyroid hormone is secreted, and thyroid nodule (tumor) caused by hyperplasia of thyroid cells.
If the thyroid does not function properly, basal metabolism is decreased generally because of reduced metabolic activity in the body, and temperature is decreased, and weight can be easily gained. Further, since energy supply is decreased, fatigue comes easily and ability of intellectual activities is also decreased, and this is called hypothyroidism. In contrast, excessive activity of the thyroid shows symptoms including high basal metabolic rate, high body temperature, weight loss, and irritability, and also causes heart strain, and it is called Graves' disease. The thyroid nodule refers to abnormalities in thyroid shape because of lumps formed in the thyroid, and about 10% of the nodules is diagnosed as malignant tumor (thyroid cancer).
As recent trends show a rapid increase of patients suffering from thyroid diseases, the National Health Insurance Service announced 55% increase from 730,000 patients in 2007 to 1,130,000 patients in 2012 in the last five years. In particular, according to the report material from the National Cancer Center, thyroid cancer is ranked as the most frequently occurred cancer in Koreans in 2010 and as the most frequently occurred female cancer (30%). The incidence of thyroid cancer in 2010 compared to 1999 has increased by almost 10 times in both males and females. Thyroid diseases, which are known to occur largely in females, recently developed a trend in which the incidence in male patients rapidly increases, and the number is predicted to be increasing a lot when including the patients suffering from autoimmune thyroid diseases in spite of no defects in thyroid function.
Drug therapy such as synthetic hormones has been utilized for treating hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, and specifically, in the case of hyperthyroidism, surgical operation is restrictively applied when thyroid function is inhibited by radioactive iodine therapy or uncontrolled by drug. For thyroiditis and thyroid nodule, treatment including drug therapy or observing development progress is provided based on symptoms. If diagnosed with malignant tumor (thyroid cancer), surgical removal surgery is primarily operated, and next, anti-cancer treatment including thyroid hormone suppressive therapy and radioactive isotope therapy are utilized in combination, but these methods for treatment have limitations on improving side effects and clinical symptoms.
Currently, as for the invention using the extract, Korean Patent No. 10-0699790 relates to a pharmaceutical composition including the extract from Lonicera caerulea L. car. Edulis fruits that has effects for preventing and treating liver diseases and discloses the effects for preventing and treating diseases including hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or fatty liver herein. Further, Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 10-2009-0130140 discloses health functional food, which has outstanding effects for relieving hangover symptoms while using Lonicera caerulea L. car. Edulis fruits, and the method for preparing the health functional food. However, as shown in the present invention, the effects on preventing or treating the thyroid diseases by the extract from Lonicera caerulea L. car. Edulis fruits are unknown.